BIL
 BIBLT                                                                           
BHP Billiton Plc - Transaction In Own Shares                                    
BHP Billiton Plc                                                                
Share code: BIL                                                                 
ISIN:       GB0000566504                                                        
Issued by:     BHP Billiton Plc                                                 
To:            London Stock Exchange                                            
               Australian Stock Exchange                                        
Cc:            New York Stock Exchange                                          
               JSE Limited                                                      
               Swiss Stock Exchange                                             
               Deutsche Bank                                                    
UBS Zurich                                                       
Contact:       Robert Franklin, Company Secretary                               
               Tel: +44 (0) 20 7802 4116                                        
BHP BILLITON PLC - TRANSACTION IN OWN SHARES                                    
BHP Billiton Plc announces that on 12 September 2006 it purchased 500,000 of    
its ordinary shares at an average price of 936.7789 pence per ordinary          
share.  It is intended that all of the purchased shares will be held as         
treasury shares.                                                                
Following the above purchase, BHP Billiton Plc holds 22,020,000 of its          
ordinary shares as treasury shares.  The total number of ordinary shares in     
issue (excluding shares held as treasury shares) is 2,446,127,002.              
For further information, please contact:                                        
Investor Relations                                                              
Mark Lidiard                                                                    
Office:   +44 (0) 20 7802 4156                                                  
Mobile:   +44 (0) 77 6993 4942                                                  
Company Secretariat                                                             
Robert Franklin                                                                 
Office:   +44 (0) 20 7802 4116                                                  
Mobile:   +44 (0) 7824 302684                                                   
BHP Billiton Limited ABN 49 004 028 077           BHP Billiton Plc              
                                                  Registration number           
                                                  3196209                       
Registered in Australia                           Registered in England and     
Wales                         
Registered Office: 180 Lonsdale Street                                          
 Melbourne Victoria 3000                         Registered Office:             
                                                  Neathouse Place, London       
SW1V 1BH United Kingdom       
Telephone +61 1300 55 4757                                                      
Facsimile +61 3 9609 3015                         Telephone +44 20 7802 4000    
                                                  Facsimile +44 20 7802 4111    
The BHP Billiton Group is headquartered in Australia                            
Date: 12/09/2006 05:54:26 PM Produced by the JSE SENS Department